This 9-day van-supported trip explores the wild and picturesque terrain of the West Texas Big Bend region. A road rider’s dream come true, the tour offers low-traffic byways, an abundance of stunning scenery, and ample opportunities to discover the secrets of Big Bend National Park, the Chihuahuan Desert, the Davis and Chisos mountain ranges, and the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River.

Our journey through this hidden gem of the Lone Star State will not be without its challenges — the landscapes are vast, quiet, and empty, with long stretches devoid of services. But we’ll make the most of the towns we do visit, taking time to explore Fort Davis, Alpine, Marathon, Terlingua Ghost Town, Presidio, and Marfa. You’re sure to return home with a bonanza of stories from your cycling adventure in Big Bend Country!

Meals - Shared cooking

Your group will share responsibilities for food purchase, preparation, and clean up on a rotating basis. Vegetarian and special dietary needs will be accommodated, though food selection may be limited in some locations.

Accommodations - Camping/Indoor

Most of the overnights will be at private or public campgrounds with a range of amenities. Depending on the nature and location of the trip, these facilities could range from RV parks with hot tubs, to wilderness locations without running water. Indoor facilities such as motels/hotels, hostels, and churches are used occasionally, but on our more remote trips, some primitive camping is possible. Epic tours generally see about one indoor overnight every ten days. Overnight facilities vary, but tents are typically pitched on large, flat, grassy areas. You will need a good freestanding tent with a ground cloth, a sleeping bag rated appropriately for the season and elevation of your tour, and a sleeping pad.

Type - Supported

Physical Difficulty - Intermediate+

Characterized by rolling terrain and medium-distance days (40-60 miles). Intermediate tours can involve some climbing, but the climbs are usually shorter (1-2 miles), and the grade tends to be no greater than 6% for an extended period. These tours are best for individuals who are regular or semi-regular cyclists and, like our Beginner+ tours additional mileage can be added for those who desire an extra challenge. An Intermediate + often has slightly more climbing, or a few longer days, as compared to our intermediate trips. A few of our self-contained Intermediate + tours are ranked as such not due to high mileage or heavy climbing, but because riding loaded for several consecutive days can be physically taxing.

Level Of Support - Van Supported

Adventure Cycling's van-supported tours — where all personal and group gear is transported by a vehicle each day — have 2 leaders and up to 13 riders who camp most nights and share rotating cooking duties, akin to a self-contained trip but with the security and simplicity of van support.

Cost:

$1,239.00

Day 1

El Paso to Fort Davis (via shuttle). We’ll meet in late morning near the El Paso airport for the three-hour van shuttle to our starting point in Fort Davis. Once there, we’ll ready our gear and explore attractions such as the Overland Trail Museum, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center & Botanical Gardens, the Rattlers & Reptiles Museum, and Fort Davis National Historic Site — a National Park Service unit highlighting one of the best examples of a frontier military post from the Indian Wars. In late afternoon, we’ll share our first group meal and discuss the details of our upcoming adventure. If time and weather permit, we’ll cap the evening with a star party at the nearby McDonald Observatory, home to one of the world’s largest reflector telescopes and a perfect vantage point for viewing the Texas-sized night sky.

Day 2

Fort Davis to Marathon, 59 miles. Our first cycling day will be spent on a slice of the Southern Tier Bicycle Route as we make our way southeast to Marathon. Once we leave Fort Davis for the route to Alpine, we’ll ride through an area that pioneer ranchers, cowboys, Buffalo Soldiers, Mescalero Apache, and Comanche have all called home. Midway through the day we’ll roll into Alpine, a great place to fuel up at one of the small cafés and diners lining the main drag. We can also stroll its historic streets brimming with art galleries and antique shops. With the wide-open country’s ever-present winds, we’ll surely see headwinds and tailwinds at some point today, especially since the route zigzags in all four directions during the 59-mile ride to Marathon. But the traffic count is low and, although we’re heading mostly downhill, we’ll have a good dose of rolling hills throughout the day. Once in Marathon, a piece of fried pie at the local café is a must for replenishing those spent calories.

Day 3

Marathon to Stillwell RV Park, 46 miles. Our gentle downhill continues today as we lose 1,800 feet of elevation on our approach to the north entrance of Big Bend National Park. The rolling hills dissected by countless dry arroyos will mark our official arrival in Big Bend country. We’ll take a short detour and make camp just a few miles shy of the park’s entrance. After pitching our tents at our oasis for the night, we may want to check out the Hallie Crawford Stillwell Hall of Fame Museum honoring the early 20th-century female settler whose tenacious character exemplifies the pioneer spirit of West Texas.

Day 4

Stillwell RV Park to Rio Grande Village, Big Bend National Park, 54 miles. Today offers an unforgettable spin through the northern and central parts of Big Bend National Park. Expansive views and a few short climbs will lead us to the park headquarters at Panther Junction, which, due to its remote location, is among the least-visited units of the National Park Service. Leaving Panther Junction, we’ll lose 1,900 feet of elevation over the next 12 miles while taking in breathtaking views of Mexico’s distant Sierra del Carmen. Our home for the evening is the Rio Grande Village campground located along the Rio Grande River.

Day 5

Rio Grande Village to Chisos Basin, Big Bend National Park, 29 miles. Ah, a short riding day! We’ll remain in the park all day as we head back up the previous day’s downhill and make our way to Chisos Basin. We’ll have déjà vu all over again as all but nine miles of our journey are spent backtracking.

Once we regain Panther Junction, we’ll blaze a new trail toward Chisos Basin with a significant climb nearly three miles long and grades as steep as 15 percent. The rewards will be worth the effort spent, as we descend into cliff-surrounded Chisos Basin in the center of Big Bend National Park.

Day 6

Chisos Basin to Lajitas, 45 miles. It’s back up and out of Chisos Basin today as we backtrack to Basin Junction before turning west toward Lajitas. We’ll be reminded that this part of Texas is anything but flat as we drop 3,100 feet leaving Big Bend National Park toward the Rio Grande. Soon after riding through the village of Study Butte, we’ll encounter a special treat: The almost-ghost-town of Terlingua. The discovery of cinnabar, a source of mercury, was the spark that fired up the town, where today all that remains are remnants from the mining days: several capped, abandoned mines, including the California Hill, the Rainbow, the 248, and the Study Butte. Terlingua’s current residents are artists and an assortment of eccentric characters. Tonight we will camp once again near the Rio Grande.

Day 7

Lajitas to Presidio, 50 miles. Keep the Rio Grande on your left today and you’re sure to remain in the United States as our ride is entirely along the fairly quiet River Road paralleling the river. The physical toll of climbing 4,600 feet is eased a bit by the spectacular views along the route through Big Bend Ranch State Park. A few miles west of Lajitas, we’ll pass an apparent ghost town that was once used as a set for several TV westerns. Soft beds and a roof over our heads reward us for a tough day of cycling and prepare us for a tougher ride tomorrow.

Day 8

Presidio to Marfa, 60 Miles. Today’s ride from Presidio to Marfa is the most challenging of our entire tour as we gain nearly a mile of elevation over 60 miles, with no support services in sight except the Adventure Cycling van. At our highest we will be roughly 5,400 feet above sea level. The weather is sure to be hot and dry, so adequate hydration will be key to a good day in the saddle. Later on, we will drop some 900 feet before climbing again into the unique town of Marfa, made famous on the silver screen in the James Dean classic Giant and, more recently, No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. It’s also home to a legendary unsolved mystery: Marfa’s “mystery ghost lights.” We’ll end the day with a celebratory dinner.

Day 9

Marfa to El Paso (via shuttle). Before jumping aboard the van for the ride back to El Paso, we can spend a few hours exploring Marfa, home to a large artist population, quirky architecture, and an array of shops and restaurants. Notable highlights include the late artist, Donald Judd’s home and studio, and the expansive Chinati Foundation, founded by Judd which houses large-scale sculptures and art installations by a number of renowned contemporary artists. Late in the morning we’ll begin the three-hour trip back to our point of origin having spent the past several days cycling what musical legends Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys call, “miles and miles of Texas.”

" Fantastic first tour experience with Adventure Cycling...well-organized, experienced and attentive leaders, great group of like minded riders, super esprit de corps, and a whole lot of fun."

2013 Tour Participant

"the scenery on the tour was just spectacular, and not just the days we were in the park, but every day. I felt like I was just riding along with my jaw dropped by the scenery all day each day!"

2014 Tour Participant

"The scenery in the Big Bend region was beautiful, and the group was a pleasure to share a week of cycling with."

2012 Tour Participant

"I had a wonderful experience! The leaders were top notched and well versed to doing their job. Everything went perfectly on this trip. Even the weather!"

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